


somebody must have (prayed for me)

by parkrstark



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempted Kidnapping, Dehumanization, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Paralysis, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 08:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16740250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: Peter comes back to the tower and finds Tony paralyzed and looking a step away from death. He can't move, so it's up to Peter to protect him from the bad guys. But they don't want Tony; they want Peter.





	somebody must have (prayed for me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shoyzz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoyzz/gifts).



> I wrote this a few months ago for shoyzz. I hope you all enjoy it!

Peter sensed it before he saw it. His hair stood up and the dull headache increased to a steady pounding. He never could tell when it was danger or just a warning; it could be anything. He was used to it always being there. But this time he knew something was wrong; the pounding only got worse and worse. 

 

“Mr. Stark?” He called out, stepping into the living room. They were planned to meet up today, just like every week. They’d started as strictly working on the suit, but it slowly became something more. Before long, a long night in the lab was just as common as a night on the living room floor eating take-out food while surfing through TV channels. 

 

Peter didn't get an answer, so he kept walking and saw the top of his head leaning on the couch. He wasn't moving or responding, so Peter assumed he'd stayed up all night and he needed a good catch up on his rest. 

 

“You said you were gonna go to sleep early,” Peter said, rolling his eyes with a laugh. He came up behind the couch and effortlessly jumped over it to take a seat on the couch next to Tony. He turned to look at him and immediately, his smile fell off his face. 

 

Tony was motionless, his face pale-white except for the veins along the sides of his face. His eyes were wide and scared as he stared at Peter. There was a slow trail of blood leaking from his ears. His eyes moving back and forth from Peter to somewhere behind him was the only indication he was even alive. 

 

It made Peter sick to look at. His stomach churned. “Mr. Stark, are you okay? What happened--?”

 

“What’s a matter? Is Daddy a little under the weather?”

 

Peter tensed at the unfamiliar voice and whirled around, putting an arm in front of Tony. Even though he was already harmed, he could try and stop anything else from happening. Nobody was going to touch Tony as long as he was here to stop it. “Who are you?” 

 

“Just a group of very powerful people interested in Tony Stark’s newest project.” One of the men smiled. He was one in a small group of three men dressed in black with guns and vests and other gear. None of them were wearing masks. 

 

“You must be confused. He hasn’t worked in anything creeps like you would be interested in years,” Peter said, eyeing them as they began to walk closer. He didn’t want to expose his identity, but if he needed to in order to protect Tony, he would. 

 

The man laughed. “Oh, you seem to be very mistaken then, boy. Because he has something we’d  _ love  _ to get our hands on. I want to see what makes it tick.”

 

Peter didn’t like the way the man was looking at him as he closed the distance between them step by step. But he refused to move from Tony’s side. “Get away from him,” he growled. 

 

“It is not him we need, little one.” He smiled crookedly down at him. “Tell me: what makes you so special? Why does Tony Stark have such an interest in you?” He cupped Peter’s face softly and Peter slapped his hand away. 

 

“Don’t touch me.” He wanted to run. Every instinct in him was screaming for him to run. But he couldn't. Not when Tony was so defenseless. 

 

The men laughed at that and the one right in front of him spoke up first, “You really got quite the set of balls, kid. You’re not in any place to be making demands. You’re going to be coming with us or else we’ll put a bullet in his head while you watch.” 

 

Peter felt the fury grow inside of him. “You won’t  _ touch  _ him,” he growled with a low voice. 

 

The man rolled his eyes. “I’m really tired of this. You’re coming with us,” he said, pulling out a set of cuffs. The sight made Peter’s heart skip a beat and he immediately kicked the man and watched him go flying. He shouted from his spot now on the floor. “Get him!” 

 

That was all the other men needed to hear before they were advancing towards him. Peter debated staying close to protect Tony, but that would only attract the fight to him. So, he jumped off the couch and ran towards where he knew the emergency unit was. If they somehow managed to disable FRIDAY, he’d need to reboot her in order to send out an emergency beacon. 

 

Before he could reach it, he was yanked back by the collar of his shirt and thrown to the ground. The man he had kicked away was straddling him and smirking down at him. “Did you really think you were getting away from us?”

 

Peter’s eyes widened. He had to escape, but did he dare expose  _ any  _ of his powers to these men? They already wanted him for who knew what, but giving them a concrete reason was even worse. So he relied on a move that would take any man down, despite the strength. He brought his leg up harshly and kneed him in the nuts. 

 

The man fell to his side gasping. “Tase...him!” His face was bright red and if Peter still weren’t afraid of being captured by the men charging towards him, he’d laugh. But he had no time to laugh. 

 

He rolled over on his stomach and jumped to his feet, ready to dodge away from any possible taser. Getting electrocuted was not something he wanted to find out what felt like. Especially when Tony needed help. 

 

But, just as he stood up to his feet and turned around to face the unwelcome guests, the high pitched shriek pierced through his eardrums. It hurt like  _ hell _ ; his senses went haywire along with the spidey sense. It  _ hurt _ . Nothing had ever hurt so much-- then his body was locking up. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t feel his body. In a terrifying second, his legs collapsed underneath him and he hit the floor with a loud thud. Despite the numbness spreading through his body, hitting the ground hurt all over again. Everything hurt and he knew it was because his body was so confused-- there was too much input. He needed everything to stop-- the lights, the noise, the laughing. 

 

_ There was too much.  _ He felt like he was going to pass out. Or throw up. Maybe both. 

 

Instead, he did neither. He just laid on the ground, his arm lodged uncomfortably under his chest, unable to do  _ anything _ . He felt the tears welling in his eyes. He could barely move his pupils around; he could see Tony on the couch-- Iron Man himself left unguarded because he was absolutely helpless. There was no one there to save Peter. 

 

A pair of shoes stopped in his line of sight and the laughing came closer. “You really thought you were going to get away from us?” He pulled back his foot to send it hurling directly between Peter's legs. Just as Peter had done moments ago. “I hope you feel  _ that _ , brat.” 

 

The kick shoved Peter back and his head collided into the tiled floor again. He felt it. He felt it all. Not like regular pain, but there was still the pressure and his senses begged for a break. If he could, he’d let out a long whimper at the pain festering from where he kicked. But he couldn't. He couldn’t even move to protect himself if the man kicked him again. He felt so  _ vulnerable _ . 

 

The man leaned down and with a grunt, he lifted Peter into his arms. He felt like an injured child being held by their father. But he didn’t scrape his knee and this man holding him was  _ not  _ his father. Still, Peter’s head was tucked against his chest and he hated it. “You comfy, little guy?” The man asked; his voice was mocking and cruel. They came to a stop in front of the couch and the man’s voice went from soft to harsh in a second. “Someone turn his head. I want Stark to see.” 

 

Peter wanted to yell and scream as a hand squeezed his cheeks and snapped his head to face Tony. Too many people were manhandling him. The sound was gone, but the pain wasn’t. He wanted to be left alone-- he wanted Tony to bring him to the room he made specifically for Peter to wind down from sensory overloads in. But he couldn’t. Tony was right in front of him and he couldn’t do a thing. 

 

Part of him wished whatever the hell they tased him with took away his eyesight too. Then he wouldn’t have had to see the wide eyes of Tony full of fear. He couldn’t move his face to make an expression, but he said it all in his eyes. He was terrified because they were losing. Peter wanted to reassure Tony that he was going to be okay. He’d been through worse. But he couldn’t say a word. He hoped  _ his  _ eyes showed some sort of comfort. 

 

“How does it feel to lose, Stark?” The man asked, jerking his arms to motion to Peter. “We’ve got him. He’s all ours now. And look at you just sit there-- aren’t you supposed to be a hero? Why aren’t you protecting him now?” 

 

Another man came up to them and put his gloved fingers in Peter’s mouth, making his lips move for him as he spoke in a high falsetto mockery of Peter’s voice. “Help me, Mr. Stark.” 

 

They all laughed. 

 

Peter wished he was deafened too so he wouldn’t have to hear them laughing at them. Like he and Tony were nothing more than a circus act. A pair of freaks. 

 

“Okay, okay,” the man holding Peter said as his laughter died down. “You want him back? Here you can have the brat.” He extended his arms towards Tony. He was so close. “Take him. C’mon. If you want him back, have him. He’s all yours.” 

 

Tony didn’t move.

Tony  _ couldn’t  _ move. 

 

“No?” He pulled Peter back against his chest with a shrug of his shoulders. “Oh, well then. I guess he’s ours now. Whaddya say, boys?” He prompted, turning his head to look at them. “You want a new pet?”

 

More laughter. 

 

“He’s a cute kid, Stark,” one of them ruffled his hair and it was too harsh. Too wrong. “Can’t wait to find out why he’s so special.” 

 

God, if they found out the real reason Tony kept him around, they’d turn him into their lab rat. They’d want to peel back every layer of his skin just to see how he worked. They’d want to make more of him. They’d weaponize him. 

 

Peter would rather die. 

 

The laughing and jeering continued and Peter felt the tears falling from his eyes. He wanted to blink and wipe them away, but he couldn't. So, they trailed down his cheeks and the taunting only increased. “What’s a matter, brat? Daddy doesn’t want you so you’re gonna cry about it?” 

 

He was suddenly dropped in Tony’s lap, his nose hitting Tony’s thigh harshly. The position wasn’t foreign to him; he’d found out Tony’s lap was quite comfortable when he was particularly exhausted on movie nights. But this was all wrong. His head was shoved face down and Tony wasn’t curling an arm around him. “You mind him lying there for a moment?” The man asked above him and he couldn’t see him, but his voice sounded like he was close. 

 

His arms were suddenly being tugged backward and a cold metal was being strapped around his wrists. “He’s a wild one. Can’t give him any chance of getting free. We’re gonna need to invest in a sturdy leash for this one.” 

 

The position wasn’t close to comfortable, but he’d take this over being held in that man’s arms again. He felt safe with Tony even if he couldn’t do anything to save him. Just him being there was enough. But, of course, it couldn’t last. A hand was suddenly in his hair, pulling him up and throwing him to the arm of the chair. Then, he was being lifted over the man’s shoulder roughly. His was a limp ragdoll as his arms hung. The harsh and sudden movement brought Peter’s nauseous back full force. 

 

“Thank you for your contribution, Stark,” the man said to Tony, but Peter couldn’t see him. And then he whirled around and Peter still couldn’t lift his head to look at him. He was forced to stare at the ground as he was carried out. 

 

“Come on, boys,” the man holding him said loudly, so Tony could still here even as they walked away, “Playtime starts once he’s strapped down.” 

 

Peter didn’t know what to be more mortified by the way he was basically at their will however they maneuvered him or the way they talked about him like he wasn’t a human child. To them, he was a pet, a toy, an experiment. He was a freak. 

 

And that hurt more than anything else. 

 

\---

 

Suddenly being thrown onto a cold surface hurt more than just the sensory overload. But that was good. That meant that he was starting to overcome the effects of that taser. He was starting to feel again. Maybe so was Tony. Maybe he’d make it out here before they pulled away. 

 

The van he was currently in the back of wasn’t very inconspicuous. White vans usually had bad guys looking to kidnap kids inside. (He’d make a comment about that just to piss them off if he could move his mouth). Tony would be able to find them on the street. 

 

Thankfully, the cuffs were taken off of his wrists before he was thrown down. But, now they were forcing his arms into another set of cuffs connected to the metal stretcher he was now trapped to. He was free for a brief moment, only to be stuck all over again. 

 

The best he could do was grunt in frustration. Which was at least  _ something _ . But the man strapping him down only laughed and patted his cheek. “Hang in there, little one. It’ll wear off soon. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun.” 

 

“You got him?” Someone said just outside the open doors. 

 

The man leaning over him nodded. “Yup, We’ll keep an eye out on him. You get us outta here before Iron Daddy comes chasing after us.” 

 

Peter wanted to smirk. He wanted to take a turn to taunt them. They were screwed either way. Tony wouldn’t let them take Peter. They’d be so sorry. If he had control of the muscles in his face, maybe he’d warn them. Or maybe it would be fun to see the surprise on their faces when he came and saved the day. 

 

“Good.” The back doors slammed shut and Peter heard the engine start before the van started moving. 

 

“Say goodbye, little one. You won’t be seeing your precious Iron Man anymore,” the man that had been the leader of the operation was sitting close to his head, petting his hair flat on his head. 

 

Peter could narrow his eyes just slightly, which he was grateful for. The man hardly noticed as he leaned back and started talking to the man on the other side of Peter. While they talked, Peter used the distraction to start slowly jerking his wrists as he gained more and more control. 

 

He wasn’t sure how long it took, definitely a handful of minutes, but soon he was able to tug hard enough at the bonds to start loosening them. He wasn’t back to his full strength-- nowhere near it. But these binds around his wrists were meant for a human, not  _ him _ . 

 

He continued to pull at them and he thought he’d get away with it until one of the cuffs made a sharp snapping sound. The two men immediately turned their attention back to him. “Trying to get out? I don’t think so.” He tsked as he shook his head. 

 

The other man didn’t even need to be told before he was standing up and reaching for something behind Peter. Peter felt his heartbeat pick up. He was gaining some feeling back, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more time. He needed help. 

 

“We’re gonna give you something to keep you from misbehaving. Sleepy brats can’t cause us any trouble.” The man practically cooed at him as his friend handed him what looked like an oxygen mask. But he knew he wasn’t going to get oxygen through that. 

 

He tried to shake his head and move his mouth to tell them no-- like it would make any difference. But all he could get out was, “Ngh!” 

 

Of course, they didn’t listen and soon, the mask was being lowered over his face. He let out a low whimper that was muffled by the mask. He tried holding his breath when he felt the cool air being pumped out, but he knew it was pointless. Either way, he’d pass out. 

 

It didn’t help that the man was pressing the mask hard against his face so it was painful. “It’s okay. Just go to sleep.  _ Sleep _ .” He sounded annoyed, but really Peter was the one that should be upset. He didn’t ask to be kidnapped. 

 

Peter shook his head, the tears falling. He refused. Not like this. 

 

“You’re gonna fall asleep whether you like it or not. So, just make it easier for both of us and  _ breathe _ .” His voice was soft until he snapped out the word  _ breathe  _ and punched Peter in the gut, making him suck in a large breath. 

 

Peter was so fixated on controlling his breathing again after getting the wind knocked out of him, he completely forgot that the deep breaths he was taking in were all poisoned air. His eyelids grew heavier and with each blink, it became more difficult to open them up again. 

 

The last thing he saw before he was overcome by darkness was the man grinning down at him. 

 

\--

 

The moment Tony was able to even move the slightest bit, he was getting ready to save Peter. He desperately tapped on his watch, his fingers refusing to cooperate as smoothly as he would have liked. He rebooted FRIDAY and in the short moments that it took her to come back online, he slowly gained more and more control of his body. 

 

“FRIDAY!” He barked. “I need my suit!  _ Now! _ ” He wanted to feel bad for taking his anger out on her; it wasn’t her fault that she had been shut down. It was Tony’s-- he needed to look into that and fix it. 

 

_ “Yes, sir,”  _ she replied, not showing any hurt at being snapped at. 

 

Tony was able to get himself off of the couch and he started crawling towards the door where they had carried Peter out. He tried not to think about it. He wished the paralysis knocked him out unconscious. The image of those assholes holding holding Peter like he was a doll to play with was not something he would soon forget. 

 

They had hurt the kid. Again and again. And Tony had been completely useless to save him. He could have taken him back when they offered. He was in his lap, only to be taken away again. Tony didn’t realize he was crying until he felt a tear roll down his cheek.

 

_ “Armor will be here in 5 seconds, boss,”  _ FRIDAY said. 

 

Tony nodded his head, wiping his face with a shaky hand as he kneeled. The suit was then flying to him, encasing itself around him. It took only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. He was in the suit and immediately felt at full strength again. He knew he wasn’t and if he didn’t have the suit, he didn’t stand a chance. But those assholes had his kid. There was nothing on this planet or any other in the universe that would stop him from bringing him home safe and sound. 

 

“FRI, track Peter,” Tony said, grateful for his paranoid past self that made Peter a bracelet that looked like nothing more than a watch but was so much more. It could alert Tony to his vitals, act as an emergency ‘help’ button for Peter to call Tony and a GPS tracker. 

 

Tony was already flying outside. On his HUD screen, he saw a small dot pop up and a line showing him exactly where to go. He smirked as he increased the power in his thrusters. Good thing he wasn’t slowed by anything like traffic. “Get the police ready for a pick-up, FRI.” 

 

_ “Notifying the NYPD,” _ she answered. 

 

He sped through the sky and before long, his target was in sight. “Seriously?” He said to himself. “A white van? Could you be any more cliche?” He rolled his eyes as he slowed down enough to fly behind the van. 

 

He grabbed onto the back door handle and ripped it off the hinges. His gauntlet was raised at them immediately. “Hello, boys. Am I late for playtime? Because I’ve got a few ideas of my own.” 

 

They shouted and scrambled, but they stood no chance. Not against his armor. Not against his anger. And definitely not against his protectiveness. He landed inside the back and grabbed the first man that came running towards him. Effortlessly, he threw him out the back of the van. 

 

The other man, the one that had held his kid and taunted him was the only one left. And he was currently holding a gun to Peter’s head as he lay there unconscious. A little bit of the fear returned. “Get that thing off of his head right now, or I swear I will make you regret ever being born.” 

 

The man smirked. “Aww is Daddy upset? Did I hurt your baby boy?” 

 

Tony had to urge himself not to get too upset at the obvious bait to get a rise out of him. “I’ll kill you,” he promised in a low voice. 

 

“But what if I kill him first?” 

 

Tony didn’t even let that thought linger before he was firing a bullet so small and fast, the man didn’t even notice it until it was piercing through his chest. He fell backward with a yell and Tony immediately stalked forward. “What was that?”

 

He was bleeding out on the ground, a hand pressed against his chest, although it did nothing. “Thought...you were gonna kill me?”

 

Tony peeled back the faceplate to his mask, so the man could see his smile. “Thought about it, but this is more fun.” He stepped on the bullet wound, wrenching a scream from his bloody lips. He grabbed him by the hair and then knocked his head back down on the ground to knock him unconscious. 

 

After he was out, Tony hurried back out of the back, trying not to think of Peter lying there on that cot. He wanted to give him his full attention, but he had to take care of the driver first. So he flew up alongside the passenger window, broke the glass and pointed his repulsor at the driver. The one that had put his fingers in his kid’s mouth to move his lips in a mockery. “Pull over this van or your brains will decorate the insides.” 

 

His eyes widened and thankfully, he didn’t argue before he was pulling over on the side of the road. Tony waited for the car to come to a full stop before pulling him out of the driver seat and punching him across the face, knocking him out too. 

 

He let out a shaky breath before immediately rushing back to the back. Peter was still there with a mask strapped to his face. He climbed into the back and hurried to Peter’s side. He was still unconscious, no doubt from whatever drugs were being pumped into his body. The oxygen mask took up just about his entire face. He looked so small. Tony couldn’t look at it anymore, so he ripped the oxygen mask off and threw it across the van, careful not to hurt Peter. 

 

“FRIDAY, scan him over,” Tony requested as he pulled the restraints off of his wrists. Once Peter was free, Tony opened his suit and stepped out. It stayed in position, ready to watch their back if anyone tried to sneak up on them, which he doubted. He looked at the raw skin from where he fought against the metal cuffs. 

 

“Oh, kid,” he whispered, taking him into his arms. “I’m sorry...I’m  _ so  _ sorry.” 

 

The kid wasn’t awake to hear it. 

  
  


He wasn’t awake until almost twenty minutes later when Tony had him back in the tower, laid in the medbay bed. He’d cleaned the small trails of blood from his ears earlier after he’d made sure everything was okay. FRIDAY had said that Peter was just sleeping off the last of the drugs.

 

Tony wouldn’t be surprised if his body was afraid to wake up again since it was last in so much agony because of the sensory overload. 

 

He blinked his eyes tiredly, staring up at Tony. He smiled weakly. “Knew you’d come kick their asses.” 

 

A startled laugh escaped Tony. “Yeah, kiddo. I kicked their asses from here all the way to Jersey.” 

 

“Good,” Peter mumbled, letting his eyes fall shut. 

 

Tony took a step forward, slowly running a hand through his sweaty curls. “Listen, Pete, I’m sorry…”

 

Peter’s mouth pinched in a small frown and he peeked his eyes open to stare at him. “Why’re you apologizing? For rescuing me? Know I’m annoying but didn’t think you wanted to get rid of me that bad--.”

 

“No,” Tony snapped, quickly. He wasn’t angry at Peter by any means and he knew the kid was only joking to avoid a real conversation-- the same way Tony preferred to avoid everything. But he couldn’t joke about it. Not after almost actually losing Peter like that. Not when he had to watch it happen. “You’re not annoying and there will never come a day that I will ever want to get rid of you.” 

 

“I know,” Peter said softly, his face becoming serious. “I was just joking around. I know you would never let them take me.” 

 

Tony scoffed bitterly. “Except I did. Do you not remember only an hour ago? When I sat on the couch and did nothing but watch them carry you away?”

 

Peter laughed. “Seriously, Mr. Stark? Do  _ you  _ not remember the fact that you were paralysed and physically couldn't do anything?”

 

“I should have done something, kid. I’m supposed to protect you and--.” 

 

“Hey,” Peter said softly before his anxiety could start rising too bad. “You  _ did  _ protect me.” 

 

Tony ran a hand over his face. “Don’t even start this--.”

 

“You brought me back, didn’t you?”

 

“Well,  _ yes _ . But what if I was too late? What if I didn’t get to you in time?” Tony squeezed his eyes shut and all he saw were those men surrounding Peter, strapped to the table as they laughed and jeered down at him. 

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Peter said resolutely. “You  _ did  _ get me back.”

 

Tony nodded his head, begging his mind to just let it go and stop thinking about all the horrible ‘what if’s running through his head right now. Peter was safe. That was all that mattered. “I’m sorry,” he said anyway because this was  _ still his fault. _

 

Peter didn’t acknowledge his apology. Instead, he said. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For saving me,” he answered simply. 

 

Tony’s shoulders relaxed as he looked into Peter’s big brown eyes. There was a small smile on the kid’s face and that was enough to calm his worries. “I’ll always save you, kiddo.” 

 

The next words out of Peter’s mouth were quick and definite. “I know.” 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Leave your thoughts below and scream at me on parkrstarkwrites on tumblr.


End file.
